Method and apparatus for hardening the surfaces of car wheels



Wrmsmx' Feb. 24, 1925. 1,527,418

E. A. LAUGHLIN IETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARDENING THE SURFACES OF CARWHEELS Filed July 28. 1923 .;......mm... [I W II-I v imgzllllllllPatented eb. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PA EN OFFICE.

ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN, OF OREGON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE-HALF TO HIMSELFAND ONE-HALF.TO JOSHUA. R; H. POT'IS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARDENING THE SURFACES 015 GAR WHEELS. 1

Application filed ul 28,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Oregon, county of Ogle, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodand Apparatus for Hardening the Surfaces of -(jar Wheels; of whichtheifollowing is a specification.

My invention-relates to improvements in method and apparatus forhardening the surfaces of car wheels and has for its object theprovision of an improved method and ap paratus of this character bymeans of which the tread surfaces of car wheels may be made hard; toughand durable to resist wear while the interior of the wheel issubstanscribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of thls specification and in which, p i

. Fig. 1 is a plan view with portions broken away of apparatus forcarrying on the process; and 4 Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. V I The preferred.- form of apparatus as illustrated in thedrawings, comprises a panlike vessel 3 having on its bottom anannularsupporting rib; or flange 4 adaptfd and arranged to support the car whee5 in 881d pan with'a water "space 6 surrounding the treadportions ofthe/wheel. A pipe 7 leads into the bottom of the sp ce 6 and isconnected with a water supp y? pipe 8 and -,a drain pipe 9 through asuitable valve 10 and whereby water may be supplied'to the space 6 ordrained therefrom as; desired; A suitable annealing plate 11 is arrangedto rest upon the 'car wheel 5 during the tempering process and serves tocause slow and substantially uniform cooling of the interioror bodyportions of the wheel and body of the wheel.

- and then finally 1923. Serial No. 654,307.

through the valve 10 and permitted to overflow from the vessel 3. Thissupply of water is continued for a short period only usually from 15 toseconds depending upon the depth of hardness desired in the treadportions of thewheel. Then the flow of water is discontinued and drainedfrom the space 6 through the valve 10. This permits the tread portionsof the wheel to reheat by conduction from the interior heat of the Thisreheating of the tread surfaces'is permitted for a period of about 10seconds whereupon the tempering water is again supplied to the space 6and permitted to flow until the body of the wheel isvsufliciently cool.In this way the tread surfaces of the wheel will be suitably hardened toresist wear while the body portions thereof will remain tough,comparatively soft and therefore not brittle.

While I have illustrated and described the referred method and apparatusfor carrymg on the invention these are capable of variation andmodification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I,therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but 7 desire to avail myself '0f,such variationsand modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: f

1. The method of hardening the surfaces of car wheels which consists infirst heating the same, then substantially uniformly and simultaneouslyquenching the entire tread surfaces of the wheel for a short time; thendiscontinuing the quenching for a sufficient length of time to permitsaid sur- 9t! faces toreheat by conduction from the interior of thewheel; and then finally and completely quenching the same, substantiallyas described. v

2*. The method of hardening the surfaces of car wheels which consists infirst heatin the same, then substantially uniformly an simultaneouslyqpenching the entire tread surfaces of the w eel by flowing waterthereover for a short time; then discontinuin the flow' of said waterfor a'suflicient lengt of time to, permit said surfaces to reheat byconduction from the interior of the wheel;

I .and completely quenching the same,' substantially as described. no

3. Apparatus for hardening the tread surfaces of car wheels comprising asubstantially pan-like vessel open at the top and arranged to contain acar wheel resting on its side, said vessel being somewhat larger thansaid car wheel to provide a space around the tread surfaces thereof; andmeans for filling said space with quenching fluid and withdrawing saidfluid therefrom, substantially as described. 7

4. Apparatus for hardening the tread surfaces of car wheels comprising apan-like vessel open at thetop and arranged to contain a car wheelresting on its side, said vessel being somewhat larger than the ear'wheel to provide a space around the tread surfaces thereof and thesides of said vessel being of somewhat less height than the thickness ofthe car wheel; an annular supporting rib in the bottom of said vesseland' located just within the periphery of said wheel; and means forfilling said spaee 'with quenching fluid and withdrawing said fluidtherefrom, substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for hardening the tread surfaces of car wheels comprising apan-like vessel open at the top and arranged to contain a car wheelresting on its side, said vessel being somewhat larger than the carwheel the bottom of said vessel and located just within the periphery ofsaid wheel; means for filling said space with quenching fluid andwithdrawing said fluid therefrom; and an annealing plate to rest on saidwheel, substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for hardening the tread surfaces of car wheels comprising apan-like vessel of a circumference somewhat larger than the treadsurfaces of the wheel and of a height somewhat less than the thicknessof the wheel; an annular supporting rib in the bottom of said vesseljust within the'periphery of the wheel; a valved water supply pipeleading into said space and a valve drain pipe leading from said space;and an annealing plate to rest on said wheel, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN. Witnesses:

FREDA C. APPLE'rON, CLARENCE E. HEELY.

